Alluaudia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Didiereaceae. There are six species, all endemic to Madagascar.[1]

Alluaudia
Alluaudia procera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Didiereaceae
Subfamily: Didiereoideae
Genus: Alluaudia
(Drake) Drake
Species

6, see text

Most occur in the southwestern subarid forest-thicket vegetation of the island.[2]

Species of Alluaudia are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.[3] Spines are arranged around the leaves as a defense against herbivores. The spines are several meters above the ground, and probably evolved in response to herbivory by now-extinct lemurs, such as Hadropithecus. Several lemur species living today feed heavily on Alluaudia, such as the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) and the white-footed sportive lemur (Lepilemur leucopus).[4]

Species

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Image Scientific name Distribution
  Alluaudia ascendens (Drake) Drake 1903 Madagascar
  Alluaudia comosa (Drake) Drake 1903 SW Madagascar.
  Alluaudia dumosa (Drake) Drake 1903 southern coastal Madagascar
  Alluaudia humbertii Choux 1934 Madagascar
  Alluaudia montagnacii Rauh 1961 Madagascar
  Alluaudia procera (Drake) Drake 1903 Madagascar


References

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  1. ^ Alluaudia. Madagascar Catalogue. eFloras.
  2. ^ Schatz, G., et al. Modeling of endemic plant species of Madagascar under climate change. In: Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Madagascar's Livelihoods and Biodiversity. Conference. Antananarivo, Madagascar, 28 January 2008.
  3. ^ Applequist, W. L.; Wallace, R. S. (2000). "Phylogeny of the Madagascan endemic family Didiereaceae". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 221 (3–4): 157–166. Bibcode:2000PSyEv.221..157A. doi:10.1007/BF01089291. S2CID 33830803.
  4. ^ Crowley, B. E. and L. R. Godfrey. (2013). Why all those spines?: Anachronistic defences in the Didiereoideae against now extinct lemurs. South African Journal of Science 109(1-2), 1-7.
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